Captive Hearts
by TheseScarletDropsofINK
Summary: For centuries Kaname Kuran has grieved over the loss of his lover. When fate hands him another chance, will history repeat itself? Kaname/Zero. AU. Reincarnation Fic.
1. Prologue Even in Death

"_Nng...Kana..."_

"_Shh," the dark haired man whispered. His lips brushed against the tender neck that was slathered in several shades of red. "Don't speak, Yuuki. Please."_

_The girl trembled, but stood still as the man she loved leaned against her. It was as though he were too tired to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders any longer. She understood. She loved him, didn't she? Of course she understood. So she didn't move; trembling and frightened, but still like a doll. His fingers were clutching at her head, tangling in the vines of her hair; his head lay on her shoulder just near the gash his fangs had created. She could feel his breathing; watch his strong shoulder rise and fall slowly. She wasn't sure, but she felt, should she catch a glimpse of his face, that he would be wearing a sorrowful look at the moment._

_So she didn't move. She said nothing. She stood perfectly still as tears fell from her eyes. Brother, how much longer must you suffer this loneliness for the one you've lost?_

**Captive Hearts**

_Prologue_

_Even in Death Our Love Goes On_

_TheseScarletDropsofINK_

"Brother."

Through the heavenly throes of heavy sleep, Zero heard the small voice of his double speaking. Small hands shook his shoulders. _Go away, Ichiru,_ he wanted to mumbled sleepily and turn onto his side for relief from the interruption of his fuzzy dream. But he didn't like refusing his brother anything, so he stayed put instead. When the bed shifted beneath him and he could feel Ichiru behind him, he peeked open a curious eye to see his little brother's face hanging over his. Silver strands of hair dangled like star dust caught in spider's silk over his boyish face. Lilac eyes were crinkled with his carefree smile while his hands gripped at the cloth over Zero's arm.

"Come on, Zero. Let's go!" Ichiru couldn't hide his happiness, Zero notes with a small smile of his own. He didn't appreciate being tugged at, but that his brother was full of energy today made him feel happy. "You said we'd go if I woke up early. I'm up!"

Zero sighed, reluctantly abandoning his chance to sleep in. "Ichiru..."

His brother didn't hear him as he bounced off the bed and ran to Zero's dresser, pulling out clothes for him and returning to his bed. The morning sun was casting a soft light into the room from the window of their bedroom- the view of it was blocked as Ichiru dumped his clothes on Zero's lap, a smile still playing brightly on his face. "Let's go!"

"Okay." Zero resigned himself to his face. He _had_ promised he'd take Ichiru, after all. Their parents had even given him consent and called their godfather in the city to let him know the boys were coming over. With that said, he turned to his eager twin. "Go and tell mom we're leaving in fifteen minutes. Make sure to eat some breakfast while I shower, okay?"

"Yeah!" Ichiru was already out the door.

When Zero walked down stairs a few minutes later and found his brother waiting for him, he simply took the piece of toast smeared with jam Ichiru held out to him. They grabbed their coats, Zero's toast clinging to his teeth as he shoved his arms through the sleeves, and put their shoes on before finally heading the door with a warm, "be careful and have fun," from their mother.

Ichiru chattered away happily as they both walked up the hill of their street, their hands held together like the most natural of things as they went on their way. The morning was beautiful; air a bit crisp, grass glistening with the morning dew, and the long blue sky was littered with white puffy clouds every so often. The weather wasn't exactly warm, but with their coats they were perfectly comfortable.

At the top of the street, Zero lead Ichiru to a bench where they sat and waited for the city bus to arrive and take them to their destination; Ichiru kicked his feet back and forth, eyes looking around as if he were trying to memorize the entire scene. It wasn't anything special. Houses lines their side of the street while the other side was nothing but a grassy plain that lead off to further hills that overlapped in the distance. Considering that the grass wasn't dried and yellow, but a healthy green, Zero thought it might be pretty, after all. But he'd seen it so many times to really notice its worth.

When the bus finally arrived, they stepped into the vehicle; Ichiru glued to Zero's arm and back as he paid their way. After greeting the familiar and friendly bus driver they often seen during their trips to school, Zero quickly found them spots in the back, letting Ichiru take the window seat and sitting besides him. They felt eyes on them as they moved, but Zero ignored them. They were twins; for some reason, everyone always found some fascination with that. Especially on the bus. It was as if they were expecting them to sneeze or talk at the same time or something. Zero only payed his attention to his brother, whose face was glued to the window with his hands pressing against the glass as the view of soft pastures rolled by.

Half an hour later the two were strolling through the beautiful park in the city. It had one of the largest trees they'd ever seen, which was always lit up during Christmas. Their parents often brought them here during the winter to see it before visiting their godfather, who didn't live far off. They had already passed the tree when Ichiru say it: it stood in the middle of a clearing. Tables and chairs were placed around a white building and a girl in a uniform was standing at the door, welcoming people inside. It was the brand new café that had opened up two weeks ago. A smile spread over Ichiru's face as he grabbed Zero's wrist and pulled him towards it.

It wasn't something Zero thought garnered so much excitement, but his brother enjoyed finding new places. The few times that Ichiru was out, he spent memorizing the entire city, especially this park. He knew every inch of the place. So when he'd heard that there was a new café here, he'd been dying to come see it. But he had gotten sick and his fever had lasted longer than usual. It was probably because he was so upset. So Zero promised him that he would bring him if he got better.

After Zero managed to pull Ichiru- whose eyes were bouncing off this place like hyper gas particles- to an empty table, they ordered something from the waitress who kept mentioning how cute they were. While they waited for their orders, Zero wasn't at all surprised when Ichiru pulled his notebook out and searched for a clean page to begin sketching.

*.｡. o ~o .｡.*

"**Brother, where are you going?"** Yuuki demanded when she saw that her older brother was slipping his coat on. She stood on the steps of the grand staircase of their estate. Her brother said nothing to her as he fixed the buttons of his coat. She stepped forward -the limestone was smooth against her bare feet- but her brother turned away from her, reaching for the door that would separate them yet again. She had a nauseating feeling that she would not be seeing him again if she simply let him walk out.

"Kaname."

He didn't move.

The white skirt of her dress shifted around her pale legs as she made to move closer and then stopped herself, a hand that had sought him falling limply at her side. A brow creased delicately between her brows as she wondered out loud, "where are you going brother?"

She couldn't see his hand tightening on the door knob and so she saw no reaction to her question. "I just need some fresh air."

The glance to the window in the room to her right was completely unnecessary. "Kaname, it's daylight. Why are you going out so early?"

"You should go back to sleep," he averted and stepped out the door, allowing the sunlight spilling outside to invade their dark home.

When the sound of the heavy wooden door closing encased the home in its preferred darkness, Yuuki was still. It was simply a silent moment that appeared as though time had stopped. No thoughts ran through her head, no breath was taken; no heartbeat was stuttered or increased. It was just silence. And then she stepped forward and pulled the door open...to nothing. Of course he'd be gone. She had given him all the time in the world, hadn't she?

Turning on her heels, skirt swaying now as she raced up the stairs, she thought back to the years, the decades, the centuries of time that her brother had struggled through with the sorrow that only peaked and stabilized, never dwindling with the slow passage of time. She threw open the door of her large bedroom and raced towards her dresser, ignoring the tears that ran down her face.

How much more cruelty did life intend to treat them to? Was it not enough that they'd lost their precious parents, that they were nearly alone? Why did fate enjoy punishing them? Was it the price they paid for the horrible things they'd done in the past?

It didn't matter. When she found the silver rod she'd searched for, she snatched it up and raced back out of the room. She wouldn't loose him. She couldn't loose him. Even if fate came searching for him, she would not give him up. How long had she convinced the elders of her brother's sanity, even with all the attempts on his own life? Her fingers tightened around the cold weapon. Not even if Kaname was resigned to death, she would not let him die.

*.｡. o ~o .｡.*

**The streets of the city were packed.** There were so many humans; an endless heard of cattle to be feasted upon. Even as he walked among them- brushed shoulders and received inviting smiles- they seemed so unaware of how limited they were. These impossibly feeble creatures that were so ignorant of their own frailty. How easy it was for them to die. Whether from disease, natural disasters, fatal accidents, another person's rage, or their foolishness in beckoning him with their blood. So easy.

Slender fingers twitched at his side.

He envied them.

The way they lived for seconds and vanished, soon forgotten by those that would come after. And those left behind. How long had it been? Kaname could count back the centuries day by day, minute by minute- But to him, it still felt like yesterday. Nothing was gone, nothing was forgotten. Even in death, he was still here, haunting Kaname. With every heartbeat. With every breath. With every whisper of the wind. Because Kaname wasn't human and he could not erase the memories of his lover.

With narrowed eyes, he ignored he constriction in his throat, paying no mind to the foolish woman whose hand brushed against his arm in passing. Why couldn't he be like these limited humans? He only wished to be able to forget...to forget that smile. It was so rare, but all the more precious. To forget the way he made Kaname smile or made him angry enough to shatter the closest window. To forget the immediate reprimand he'd get for loosing his temper so easily. He wanted to forget the way he tasted, the way he smelled, the way he quenched Kaname's unbridled thirst and brought to him a warmth he had never knew existed. It was spiteful...

Why could he still hear that voice so vividly enough to ruthlessly tear his heart to shreds? The sound of his laughter resonated in Kaname's head, every lilt and row rumble there. Even when he knew his lover wasn't present, he could still feel him by his side. But he was gone. He was gone and the truth was sharp and constant, leaving him breathless to know he would never be able to brush his fingers against that warm cheek. Or to run his fingers lazily through his hair and take in his scent, basking in the warmth of his lover's sweet body. He could no longer watch him sleep or listen to him grumbled sarcastic remarks just to be annoying.

Kaname had wondered on occasion if he was being watched over. Did his lover still think of him? Was he scoffing at Kaname's behavior? He had tried countless of times to get back up and keep moving on, but he was continuously swept away in pain. Kaname had known it was what he should do. He had listened to Yuuki tell him as gently as she could that his lover was gone. That he would never come back. He had known that. Kaname knew he was gone. Still, there were times when Kaname would look up to see _him_ leaning against his door frame, arms crossed loosely and a dryly amused look on a face that was clearly mocking him. Kaname knew he was gone. He didn't anyone to tell him that.

He knew.

_It was his heart that didn't..._

"**Watch out!"**

Kaname flinched at the sound of a loud horn. With his mind reeling, he was jerked back to reality and out of his morbid thoughts by his coat. The sudden movement caused tears that were lying in wait in his eyes, too ashamed to fall, finally come down from their hiding place and staining his cheeks with their sweet poison. Shaky fingers touched them as they slid down his cheek, utterly surprised at their presence. For decades, they had refused to appear. Ever since that day, he'd kept them at bay...

"What's wrong with you, can't you see the sign?" Someone snapped at him. The voice sounded a bit distant among the low chatter going on around him. "It says 'don't walk'! Can't you read?"

With a crease between his brows, Kaname's gaze fell to the small boy whose hand was clutching tightly at his coat's sleeve and met his...his eyes...Tension ran throughout his entire being. It wasn't possible...it just couldn't be...but, there had been no one else in the world in all the time he'd existed who had the same rare coloring. He was identical, even...even his scent was... Or, was this just another game his heart was playing with him? A cruel joke of the world that had taken his only meaning in life?

The boy frowned at him beneath silver strands of his hair. A concerned look- so _achingly_ familiar- skimmed the surface of his eyes as he took Kaname in. Tears were still running down his face, flowing freely now that they were unhinged. In a surprising move, the boy took hold of his hand with a sigh, looking back at the street and waiting for the light to change. "If you don't know how to cross the street, then let me help you across."

"Brother, he's a stranger."

Another one? Kaname blinked at the boy besides him and frowned. Two of them? Twins? The second boy, maybe the younger one, was holding onto the older boy's arm with both of his own, almost leaning into his brother as he murmured into his ear. Kaname watched as the presumably older twin tilted his head towards his brother slightly. "Its fine, Ichiru. He was just distracted. Come on."

When the older boy began to cross the street, his hands tugging along two others. Kaname numbly let the boy pull him forward, tears slow, but still streaming while his heart was put on pause; afraid to beat and ruin this illusion. This precious break in reality that must have been given to him as an act of mercy for the years of lonely agony he'd endured. His eyes were fixated to the back of the silver haired boy's head. It was impossible, he knew. This couldn't be him; although, the resemblance was uncanny. This boy was _not_ his lover. He wasn't Zero.

Making it safely across the street and ignoring the soft smiles on a few faces of the people who'd waited and crossed with them, Kaname felt the boy release his hand. The warmth instantly vanished and Kaname had to resist the desperate urge to grab the child's hand once more. He scolded himself with the harsh reminder that his lover was dead. But maybe this boy-

No. It couldn't be, it wasn't right.

"Be careful next time," the boy told him. His face was a bit too serious for someone his age. "Look both ways and cross with everyone else. Don't space out like that again or you could get hurt."

And then the twins turned away and Kaname watched them- _him._ Tempted to go after him and follow the boy that so resembled his lover. But he wouldn't. It would only bring even more pain and so Kaname turned away.

"That guy was weird, huh, Zero?"

Kaname froze.

* * *

**Scarlet:** _So_ _it_'_s_ _a_ _bit_ _short,_ _but_ _it__s_ _the_ _prologue_ _so_ _it__s_ _excusable,_ _no?_ _Anyway,_ _you_ _don_'_t_ _need_ _me_ _to_ _tell_ _you_ _to_ _review_ _and_ _let_ _me_ _know_ _if_ _you_ _liked_ _it_ _and_ _whether_ _or_ _not_ _I_ _should_ _continue._ _*rereads_ _last_ _sentence_ _*_ _Oh,_ _look_ _at_ _that,_ _I_ _did_ _anyway…_ _^^;_

_Oh! Merry Christmas~_


	2. Silent Guardian

_*walks in and stumbles over herself* omg, I never expected this story to get so many reviews with just the prologue! I'm...crap, that totally makes me nervous. Dx_

* * *

**Captive Hearts**

_Chapter One_

Silent Guardian

_TheseScarletDropsofINK_

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

"Zero."

The now fourteen year old boy was sitting on a park bench on a cold night. His head hanging as he leaned down into his hands, hoping to hide away his broken expression from the world. His twin brother sat besides him, rubbing his back in comforting circles. Here at an empty park, they made a beautiful painting of two angels against the backdrop of denim skies and fallen snow. "Hey, Zero? Its okay, you know. You don't have to be strong for me all the time, too. If you want to cry, it's all right. I won't think any less of you."

Fragile shoulders that had always seemed so strong shook beneath Ichiru's hands as soon as the words left his cold lips. Even as Ichiru drew closer to his brother, lying a cheek against the back of his twin's shoulder, he could feel Zero's body softly shuddering with quiet sobs. As if he wasn't feeling his brother fall apart, Ichiru continued to talk; unsure whether his brother was listening, but knowing Zero needed to hear his voice nonetheless. So Ichiru continued to talk, acting as if nothing was wrong. He talked about everything and nothing; talked about how the café that was in the park was being renovated and how some girl at school wouldn't leave him alone and kept following him around. For a long time he was just leaning against his brother in the cold, wondering how it go dark so fast. He mentioned the way snow was slowly falling and how they should probably go home before they got hypothermia and turned into snowmen.

Nevertheless, it took a while before Zero finally lift his head from his hands to stare at the stone path of the park. His pale cheeks were flushed and his eyes red and puffy from crying so much. With a soft voice he turned to his brother. "Ichiru," he said (Ichiru always liked when Zero talked to him in that tone). "Thank you."

Ichiru smiled in return, nuzzling his older brother's shoulder. A shiver scuttled down his body and he let out a small cough. Immediately, his twin brother was on his feet, hands on Ichiru's shoulders with a worried frown on his face. "I'm sorry, Ichiru. You shouldn't have come after me." Zero caught Ichiru's hand in his and began tugging him up. "We were here for a long time. Come on. Let's go back home."

Ichiru smiled, gripping his brother's hand- it was something they did less of since they'd started junior high- and they both walked home together; to a place that was familiar but different now that their parents were dead. Ichiru's hand tightened on Zero's. At least they still had each other. From now on, that should be enough.

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

**In the shadows, **lurking among the endless trees, a lone figure stepped out and watched the twin boys go; a look of longing and sympathy in his eyes. He'd been watching the boys for years now; watching one in particular. The scene he'd witnessed had forced him to use his entire strength to hold himself back from taking the broken boy into his arms and promising to never leave him alone.

Since the twins' parents died two weeks ago, he'd watched the strong-willed boy go through the task of carrying the weight of others on his shoulder. He took care of his brother and dealt with the sympathy of endless people who were only making matters worse by sitting there and feeling pity for the young boys. Fortunately, their godfather had accepted guardianship of the twins and was now living with them since Ichiru had refused to leave their home. The younger boy had been in more distress than his older brother and as such, had caused Zero to put all his strength into helping him cope before he could accept his own feelings on the sudden loss.

Unfortunately, because of the boy's frail health, Ichiru continued to grow more and more ill and in turn making Zero worry endlessly. He would sit at Ichiru's bed side, his hand tightly around his brother's as he watched him, dark circles under his lilac eyes. It had been painful for Kaname to watch and he'd even felt regret and anger with himself. Perhaps he could have stopped it from happening. It would have been easy to stop the car that had crashed into their parents' vehicle. But he hadn't been there. He couldn't stop it no matter how much he wished he could have.

It wasn't until a few hours ago while Zero was hanging laundry out in their backyard that the boy had paused to see a woman walking down the sidewalk across the street. She was smiling down at a small boy who was struggling to keep up, his hand clutched tightly in hers. That simple sight had broken something inside of him and Zero had run away in a blind direction. Ichiru had walked out the back door at that moment, calling after Zero to no avail.

Kaname had saw the hesitation in the younger brother and frowned at the action, though he knew Ichiru was wondering whether it would be stupid of him to run after him in this weather, considering how ill he'd been. It lasted but a few seconds before he was running out the door, calling after his brother.

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

**When she heard the front door open, **Yuuki was instantly on her feet and following her brother's movement up the stairs. For two years Kaname had been doing this: coming and going at strange times, looking relieved, upset, angry, or happy. It had confused her. Kaname was showing emotions he hadn't shown in ages. But, lately, he was returning home in a dark mood as though he had just murdered someone. "Kaname?"

_And every time she'd ask…_

Her brother paused in his ascent to turn back to her. She couldn't understand anything past that indifferent expression. "Yes?"

"Where were you?"

Kaname turned away. "Nowhere."

…_he'd never answer honestly._

"You've been 'nowhere' for a long time now. It's almost as if you've found a new lover," she mumbled quietly, trying to keep the conflicting emotions of hope and jealousy from her voice. Hope, because it meant Kaname would finally move on and try to find contentment if not happiness in his life; jealousy because it had been Yuuki who had been promised to Kaname and likewise Kaname who was to become Yuuki's. Since Zero, Kaname's true love, had passed away, the right should have fallen to Yuuki to become Kaname's bride and bear his children. That idea, however, had died when her brother never stopped mourning.

How could she even suggest such a thing when she knew full well how much Zero meant to Kaname. To see how much he grieved over the loss of his lover and having to have watched him, lost and desolate in his pain, try to take his own life countless of times over the ages. She really wanted Kaname to be happy.

That's why her brother's scowl worried her. "A 'new' lover? You think I'd dare to tarnish the memory of my beloved by finding a 'new' lover?" She knew he was angry even before his eyes burned into the darkness in that sharp ruby of anger and hunger. "I've told you before, Yuuki. I have no room in my heart for any others. Only Zero. That place belongs solely and absolutely to him, no one else."

She lowered her head. "Forgive me, brother."

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

"_**Ah…Zero…."**_

Kaname's nails bit into his palms, teeth gnashing tightly as his crimson gaze pierced through the night and straight into the bedroom of the little whore who dared to touch his lover. He'd wanted to kill her a thousand times over the last year, but he refrained from doing so at thought that Zero would be hurt because of it. Besides, as much Kaname hated it, Zero needed a distraction.

Zero's grades were suffering and the invisible space between his younger brother and himself had become visible (and wide at that). They were seventeen now and had slowly started to drift apart with being caught up in the troubles of their own lives. Ichiru had finally found the strength to become more independent and had even gotten himself a girlfriend; it was Zero who had been reluctant to give up their brotherly intimacy.

Then he'd met a girl a year older than him at school. From the very moment they had met and that female human had looked at Zero with the eyes of a woman falling in love, Kaname had hated her. Having to watch his lover fall into a comfortable relationship with another had ate at him and Yuuki had noticed. She had become more adamant in trying to find out what Kaname was doing while he was gone. He thwarted her many attempts at following him, but he knew he needed better control of his emotions.

It would be best not to go home tonight; in the mood he was in he'd only make it obvious that something was going on. When the girl moaned again, Kaname's eyes narrowed, his teeth gnashing in anger. The sound was followed by a window's loud crack that had Kaname's hand over his face, trying to regain control of himself. He couldn't stay here any longer or he'd end up killing them both.

Regardless of all his caution, however, Kaname knew it was only a matter of time until it happened. And it did.

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

**At long last, Yuuki found out. **She was waiting for him at home. Sitting half way up on the stairs with her arms around her knees in her white sleeping gown. He had known immediately when he saw her. The look on her face had said it all. The solemn expression on her heart-shaped face, the disapproval that dipped the corners of her soft mouth just the slightest, and the look of sympathy in her warm eyes. It wasn't an expression Kaname liked to see on his sister's face. Still, he remained calm and nonchalant on the matter as he closed the door with a quiet click and stepped forward.

She stood up. "Kaname," she began softly, "I know what you're up to."

He said nothing as he took the first step of the stairs to his bedroom. The twins had graduated earlier today and their godfather had taken them out to eat in order to celebrate as a makeshift family. Zero's girlfriend had not showed up at the ceremony. She had been doing that a lot: not showing up. It both pleased and pissed Kaname off. He hated the look on Zero's face when he'd catch the time or when he'd get a simple text on his phone. And Zero wouldn't plead for her to show up, he wouldn't beg her to be there. Kaname was happy about that. It was what had stopped him from finding the girl and giving her a real reason to be absent.

"I've seen who you've been following around," Yuuki said as she watched him pass her on the stairs, her eyes gentle with worry. "I know…how similar he must look to you, Kaname, but you know as well as I do…"

Their guardian, Touga Yagari, had seemed a bit sketchy to Kaname and he had mistrusted the man when he first saw him. He didn't want his beloved to be raised by a man as brash as he was, but then, as he watched the three of them enjoying their dinner and laughing as the trials of their lives finally paid off, he figured the man must have done something right to bring Zero up this way. He seemed a little less angry about things than Kaname remembered in the past.

"…that boy is not Zero."

Kaname stopped moving. There was a pleasant numbness that had seeped throughout his body from the moment he'd been protected by a seven-year old boy in a crowd full of strangers. It was beginning to ware off at the sound of those words. And for some reason his younger sister seemed to feel the need to repeat herself to him as though he hadn't already heard her quite clearly the first time. "He looks a lot like him, but that boy is not Zero, Kaname."

"He is."

"He _can't_ be."

"I'm certain of it, Yuuki."

"He isn't your lover, Kaname. He doesn't even know who you are!" She whirled around now, hair flying into the air as she spun on her foot, tears of frustration in her eyes. He really was a burden to her, he realized a bit guiltily. He had asked her to move away, told her to go and experience life with the others, but she had insisted that she stay at his side.

Letting his eyes close in a weary gesture, Kaname continued up the steps, sparing a few words, "I know it may seem strange, but that boy is without a doubt my lover."

"No," Yuuki shook her head, it can't be him. So this was what fate had brought him? More misery? She knew it would lead only to anguish if Kaname were to seriously consider that boy someone he wasn't. "You can't bring him back to life, Kaname. Zero is dead. He's gone. That boy is not your lover, brother. Zero is gone…please learn to accept this."

"No…this is a second chance, Yuuki," Kaname spoke quietly as he reached the head of the stairs. "To make things right."

"If you really want to make things right," Yuuki began in a quiet tone, the subdued emotions in her words making her voice quiver, "you'd leave him alone. You'll only do to him what you've done to the other."

Kaname flinched and so did Yuuki once she realized the full weight of what she'd said. "I'm sorry, Kaname, I didn't-"

"You're right…" Horribly, horribly right. He turned away from her, suddenly very tired. "I am the reason that he's dead. I should leave that boy alone. If he truly is Zero, then it would be for the best."

_*.__｡__. o ~o .__｡__.*_

**However, Kaname was very selfish and he never did leave Zero alone. **Never could he hope to do so. He spent his time watching Zero and his twin brother grow further into men. He watched their first fight, with Ichiru snapping at Zero who refused to get angry until his brother gave up and left. With pleasure, he witnessed Zero's break up with his hardly ever-present girlfriend and, in amusement, watched Zero and Ichiru get drunk on their birthday. The consequences were a tattoo and earrings for Zero and an older woman for Ichiru- although they both seemed to be completely fine with their punishments.

Then came the day Ichiru and Zero moved out of their home, though their uncle remained there with another down on his luck friend of his, whom the boys had gotten particularly close to. Kaname had heard Ichiru joking to Zero about the strange man being their 'mother.' Within the year, however, the same down on his luck mother-like figure opened his own restaurant and gave Ichiru and Zero jobs while the now 20 year olds attended college.

It was this very restaurant that Kaname was standing outside of, glancing at the warm, inviting place that had tempted him endlessly to enter; to get even closer to his lover who was now at the very same (assumable) age that he had lost Zero at centuries ago. He now looked identical to the man he still saw in his dreams. It was becoming harder for Kaname to keep his distance. Through out the years of watching over him, he never really understood why he was doing this- excluding his need to want to be near and protect his beloved. Aside from that, he never intended to intrude on Zero's life.

Yet, he found himself constantly warring inside over how simple it would be to walk through those doors and wait as the server came to him…wait for that server to look at him, to finally see him, to set those amethyst crystals on him and speak to him in that familiar voice. At that moment, Kaname would reach for him, slide his fingers around that sweet neck, pull him in close and-

"_Hey!_ Are you planning on standing out there forever?"

The door of the restaurant was open, generously spilling the golden light of the warm atmosphere upon the cold and snowy sidewalk Kaname stood on. In the doorway stood a silver-haired young man who was watching him closely. A shudder ran through him as the cold that prevailed outside touched his warmed body. The silver lilac of his eyes grew a bit impatient. With a toss of his head, he succeeded in flicking the strands of his hair out of his eyes. "You've been standing out there for an hour, man. Are you coming in or do you plan to freeze your ass off out here?"

Kaname knew it was Ichiru simply by looking at him. Though they were twins, they were undeniably different. While his heart ached at the sight of his lover, it did nothing but flutter at how much Ichiru looked like Zero. As though he took Kaname's silence for assent, the boy was holding the door open and turning to yell into the restaurant. "Zero, can you tell that nut he's got one more customer!"

At the front counter, the young man who looked every bit as Kaname last remembered, raised his silver head and turned his attention from the book before him towards the new customer. It was the first time since this Zero was a boy that he looked at Kaname, innocent lavender eyes now filled with a quiet maturity that promised strength and comfort. Kaname hadn't even realized he'd stepped into the restaurant and moved closer to where Zero was coming around the counter until he heard that beautiful voice speaking directly to him.

"What can I get for you?"

"I..." Kaname frowned. He'd never even bothered to figure out what sort of food this place had. He'd been too focused on Zero to actually care about what they fed the humans who ate here. He glanced around, but the place was empty. "I'll have anything you bring me."

Zero frowned at that. "…are you sure?" He looked a lot more handsome up close, Kaname noted as he took in a deep breath. There had been rare times when Kaname was able to be this close to Zero- close enough to take in his mouth-watering scent till his very core trembled with its sweet aroma.

"Yes," he smiled, trying to stop his hands from trembling under the urge to reach out and take hold of something he'd lost long ago. As if that weren't enough, Kaname was certain Zero had just seen an odd expression on his face: one a man who'd just seen his long-lost lover up close might wear.

The silver-haired boy definitely seemed to notice it because his frown furrowed, giving his face a strange look. It was a look Kaname use to see when he would tell Zero something he couldn't comprehend. Like the first time he admitted to him, "I think I'm falling in love with you." Or the time he told him that he'd been dying to taste his blood, but wouldn't take it without his permission.

"Do I…um, have we met before?" he asked, looking a bit perplexed.

Kaname smiled in pure bliss at the innocent question. "No."

"I see. I'll have your food out in a bit then, sir."

"Kaname."

Zero paused, then nodded. "Zero Kiryu."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zero."

His lover glanced at him, his eyes trying to discern Kaname's smile with a hint of suspicion. "Yeah…the pleasures mine." Zero turned away. "Follow me and I'll show you to your table."

* * *

_I'm really sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. The truth is, its been done for a while now, I just wasn't quite ready to tackle this topic anymore. After I almost lost someone really close to me, I just couldn't bring myself to concentrate- especially on a story that deals with the death of a loved one. That being said, my writing may be a bit off. Also, this seems like another prologue. Actually...I just realized how unnecessary this chapter may be...*facepalm* Oh well, I needed Zero to grow up because I'm not ready to tackle shota. lol Hope you guys enjoyed it nontheless._


	3. Something Missing

This chapter is dedicated to **Melanctha86!** I promised you this update months ago and I am truly sorry it took me this long to finish it. Also, sorry for making you cry. Dx *hands you tissues*

Please forgive typos, mistakes, and lame attempts at humor~

(When I edited this, I was very tired.)

* * *

**CAPTIVE HEARTS**

_Chapter Two_

Something Missing

_TheseScarletDropsofINK_

"**If everyone will turn their text books to page 417,** we will begin the lesson by discussing the responsibility of the shareholders." The shuffling sounds of students flipping the pages of their books filled the classroom like the fluttering wings of birds. Glancing up from his position at the head of the classroom, the professor waited patiently before his students eyes were back on him. "We've learned that the shareholders are owners of companies, but can anyone tell me what important roles these shareholders play?"

The hands of several students went up while others attempted to look busy in hopes of not being called on. At the back of the classroom, Zero Kiryu, one of the professor's favorite students, was staring down at his notebook. Despite the lesson taking place, his concentration was on the black phone that had been silently attempting to steal away his attention. He'd stubbornly managed to ignore it for half the class, but seeing as it was his younger brother, Zero eventually caved in. With lilac eyes now reading through the pointless texts (even though he had told Ichiru not to bother him in class unless it was an emergency), he failed to see how he'd caught his professor's sudden interest.

"Kiryu-kun, how about you?"

Turning his gaze away from the words (I'm soooo bored! (/ﾟДﾟ)/) on his phone and back to the man who was patiently waiting for his reply, Zero answered: "Shareholders assist with financing, governance, operations, and control various aspects of a business."

"Very good," the professor nodded proudly, turning his back to write the answer up on the board. "Now, depending on the size of the business and whether a company is public or limited, the number of shareholders may vary from one to a thousand."

A quiet breath eased passed his lips as Zero watched his professor go into a devoted explanation of the depth of the shareholders' responsibility. Despite always showing up to class and attempting to pay close attention each lesson, Zero always took the initiative to read ahead in his text books in case he began to fall behind.

Like most students, Zero balanced his education with a job. He worked at a family restaurant owned by his godfather's lover, Kaien Cross, who had given both he and his twin brother jobs. He'd been working there since they first opened up about a year and a half ago. At first, Zero hadn't expected to like it much, since he didn't particularly enjoy being around too many people. His brother, however, loved it- it was always like Ichiru to be the opposite of Zero. However, after working there a few months, instead of feeling upset at the sight of families coming in to dine, he only found it comforting. After the deaths of his parents when he was a kid, he had always found himself chasing after the wholesome feelings being with his family had always given him.

He had tried to find and replace those feelings in the past to no avail. Working at the restaurant enabled him to catch glimpses of those emotions. To grasp the edges of feelings he longed for. The place was like a warm, protective bubble that surrounded him; his own personal haven. This was why Zero had finally decided to take up this class in hopes of taking over whenever Cross was ready to retire. And even though Ichiru liked his job, it wasn't something he was interested in doing for the rest of his life. Zero taking over the 'family' business suited him just fine.

**When class ended an hour later, **the students began to file out of the lecture hall in need of a bathroom break, food, and their freedom. Zero rubbed at the side of his neck, easing some of the tension he'd felt for sitting in class for so long. Standing to his feet, he began to gather his belongings and head out when someone interrupted him.

"Um…" A glance to his right revealed a blushing girl who was currently fiddling with her hands as she stared at her shoes. "Kiryu, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Zero turned to look at the head of the hall and saw two girls (not so) discreetly giggling in their direction. They were friends, he realized as he slid his soft gaze back to the shy girl. He gathered his things and replied, "Sure," before following her out.

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**The engine of a green Kawasaki Ninja bike **was rumbling impatiently on the curve of the college's drop off area in front of the business building. The rider revved his engine, catching a few appreciative glances from the ladies while his bike flirted with the attention of some of the guys. Amongst the many gazes it garnered, it seemed to have hooked in a pair of lilac silver eyes that watched both the bike and its rider as he drew near.

Reaching up, the motorcyclist pulled off his black helmet, giving his head a good little shake as hair fell into place around a handsome face. This guy, who Zero was currently glaring at, was his childhood friend and coworker, Kaito Takamiya; he also happened to be his godfather's nephew. "You brought your bike?"

"Of course I brought my bike," Kaito said, giving his baby a good stroke with a look that belonged more on a guy pawing at his girlfriend than on someone petting metal on wheels. Thankfully that look was gone when he turned to Zero and shoved his spare helmet against the younger boy's chest. "Now hurry up and get on."

"I'm not getting on that thing," Zero refuse, eyes shifting as he ignored the object crushed against his chest.

"Why the hell not?" Kaito frowned. "There's nothing wrong with it, just get on."

"It's not the bike I have an issue with," Zero pointed out, crossing his arms and digging his heels into the ground.

"Get on the damn bike, Zero," Kaito deadpanned.

With a sigh of utter defeat, Zero took the helmet and slipped it on. Placing a hand on Kaito's shoulders, he stepped onto the footpeg and mounted the bike. He kept as much distance from Kaito's body as he possibly could until he'd have no choice but to wrap his arms around him. This wasn't the first time that he had ridden two up with Kaito. He had gone on a few adventures with him in the past, however, at the moment, the situation was….

As Kaito was getting to pull away, the melodious sound of women giggling caught their attention. Zero's arms tightened around his friend's body (as necessary for the ride) and looked away. Kaito, on the other hand, almost knocked the back of his head against Zero's nose with how fast he straightened up.

"It's not like that!" Kaito shouted after them, but the girls paid him no heed as they went on with deluded fantasies and giggles. "He's just a friend!"

"You're drawing more attention to yourself," Zero sighed, closing the visor on his helmet, least he be recognized. "Just go."

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

"**Ah, don't take that off,"** the man gasped as the tie for his hair was removed. Strong fingers reached back to gather the released strands of light honey hair as they fell to their freedom. "I still have to work!"

"You were the one who started this," the dark haired man guilty for setting his hair loose retorted, nipping at the older man's neck as his rough fingers bit against the softer skin. "Now take responsibility."

"I intend to," Kaien Cross assured wrapping his arms around his lover and pressing his lips to the blue eyed man's. The intensity in which the kiss was returned forced him off balance and Kaien absolutely enjoyed drowning in everything that was Touga Yagari.

As hands slipped under his shirt and he was pressed back against their desk (the edge of it biting into his back), he couldn't help but shiver in excitement. It had been hours since the last time they'd held each other this tightly. _Hours._ How was he supposed to survive off hours when he needed this man every second of his life? "Touga...we should hurry before some-"

"Hey old man, where did that bast-" Ichiru's words clogged in his throat. He stared wide-eyed at the sight of his godfather pinning the old man up against their work desk, one hand holding up his shirt and the other...

Kaien and Touga blinked as Ichiru backed out of the room, closing the door with a quiet click. The silence that greeted them was unnerving, yet short-lived as the following loud crash caused Kaien Cross to nearly jump right out of his skin. He silently worried at the thought of collateral damaged as the clanging sounds continued to echo in his ears.

"Ah..." Kaien smiled dryly. "He must have knocked something over."

"You'd think the brat would learn to knock before entering a room by now," Yagari growled, irritated at the kid he thought he had raised with the decency to knock on a door before barging in constantly walked in on him at the most inopportune moments.

Kaien nodded sagely then turned back to his lover and leaned forward to continue their affections. Instead of lips, however, he was rewarded with a rough hand that pushed his face away. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Kaien's response was muffled against Touga's hand as the dark haired man glared at him, but wasn't released. With a heavy sigh, Yagari moved his hand away from his idiotic lover so he was allowed to breathe again. He didn't want him dead, after all. "Go lock the door first!"

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

"**This isn't funny Zero, those girls thought we were gay!" **

Zero shook his head as he reached out to pull open the door of the restaurant, the bell at the top giving a melodious little chime to announce his presence. The place was fairly small and very family oriented. So when Zero glanced around, he gave small smiles and nods to familiar faces as he made his way towards the employees' room. The second he walked through the door, he should have been prepared for the twin that crashed into him.

"Zero, Zero!" Zero grunted as Ichiru threw himself against him, snaking his arms to wrap tightly around one of Zero's arms like boa constrictors. As Zero tried to pry him off (to no avail), he asked, "What happened?"

"I just saw my life flash before my eyes," Ichiru mumbled into Zero's shoulder, not bothering to look up. "In the office, that old man and Yagari..."

Zero tensed, exchanging looks with Kaito over his shoulder before he sighed. "I told you to always knock."

"But Zero!" Ichiru gasped, raising his head to give his brother those eyes he could never refuse. "They shouldn't even be doing that here! It's disgusting!"

"He has a point," Kaito agreed._ But hey, at least they weren't in the kitchen this time_, he thought wryly. Then he shuddered at the memory of his uncle that he was still trying to drown out of his mind.

"Either way, what am I supposed to do about it?" Zero asked, slipping his arm out of Ichiru's hold and heading to the employee's lockers. "Hurry up and get back to work, there's no one on the floor."

Ichiru watched his brother go with a resigned frown. Crossing his arms, he let out an irritated sigh at the memory of his two guardians acting like horny teenagers and his expression darkened. Why couldn't they just do that stuff at night, at home, and away from him like normal people?! Bunch of damn exhibitionists!

"Keep scowling like that and you'll be on your way to being the ugly twin," Kaito teased as he poked the crease between Ichiru's brows. Said twin smacked Kaito's hand away in irritation. "Go screw yourself."

"You've got a horrible mouth on you, 'Ichirun,'" Kaito pointed out, chuckling at the scowl he received for using Kaien's nickname for him. As kids growing up, Kaito had always picked on Ichiru for being so clingy with Zero, so Ichiru had no patience for him anymore. But Kaito always found annoying him fun. Call him a sadist, but he lived for teasing the younger Kiryu.

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**Fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeve**, Zero mindlessly walked into the break room in his work uniform; it consisted of nothing more than a white dress shirt, a black vest, and black slacks. As he was about to clock in, Kaien Cross walked into the room oozing happiness and insanity- it was distracting. "Ah, Zero, you've arrived. How was class?"

"Fine," Zero replied, trying (and failing) to ignore the red bite mark on the bottom of Cross's neck. He didn't even want to think about how (because he already _knew_ how) it got there.

"Don't tell me you're gonna clock in already?" Kaien sounded surprised, though he really shouldn't be. Zero always clocked in early. "You haven't eaten, have you? You still have twenty minutes till your shift, why don't you eat first? You look like you could use something-"

Zero considered it. He _was _pretty hungry. Maybe he would stop by the kitchen and hassle Kaito into making him something. Like Zero, the rest of the employees all got the perks of eating a free meal from the restaurant for lunch. It was something that Cross insisted on, even with Yagari being completely against it. Despite the cost to the restaurant, Kaien had pointed out that it gave his employees a better understanding of the dishes so that they would be able to sell it better. Not only that, but Zero had noticed that some of their former employees still stopped by for meals and had become regular customers themselves.

"-skin and bones! You have to take better care of yourself! It would be horrible if I, as your loving father, allowed you to continue in this manner! Why, your mother Yagari would be-"

"_Cross_..." Zero bit out. After having to live with this man, even if it was just a year, Zero had become a master at having patience and tuning people out- especially when it came to tuning Kaien out himself. _However_…. "I am _not_ your son."

...not even he had all the patience in the world. And since he was already at it…

"Stop doing inappropriate things while at work," he scolded, seeming to have reversed their roles (it had been quite the usual event when they lived under the same roof). "You're running a _family_ business not some pleasure house. So please stop mentally scarring all your employees," and then as an afterthought, added, "Especially Ichiru! I don't need him crying to me every time he sees you two going at it."

By the end of his mini tirade, Kaien looked like a kicked puppy and Zero had missed his chance for an early lunch.

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**Kaien walked back into his office**, shutting the door quietly behind him and letting out a quiet little sigh. Yagari glanced up from his desk while putting out his cigarette in the ash tray Cross had bought him to look him over. "What's wrong?"'

"I was just scolded by Zero," Kaien admitted with a small smile as he walked over to his lover.

Yagari gave a humph of amusement. "What else is new?"

"He looks worn out," Cross said as he leaned against Yagari's desk, turning to stare into the sharp blue eyes that were trained on him. After he had lost everything, he had moved in with Touga and the twins. And although it was only for a year, he had come to love those boys with a frightening intensity. He had always noticed there seemed to be something missing in Zero. Whether it was because of the death of his parents or because of the number of problems in his relationships, Kaien didn't know. But he did know, whatever the missing piece had been, it had only grown over the years.

"You really are a mother hen," Yagari said, reaching out to grab Kaien by his hip and move him in between his legs. He secured him tightly in place as he looked up at the worry, honey filled eyes. "Look, Zero is a strong and stubborn kid; he got that from his parents. So whatever it is he's looking for in his life, I have no doubt he'll find it. We just need to let him do it on his own. So stop worrying so much."

Kaien touched Touga's cheek, a soft smile playing with the edges of his lips. "Being a father sure has made you soft."

Yagari yanked Kaien roughly against him and leaned forward to bite at his collar bone with a soft growl, enjoying the shudder that scuttled down his lover's body. He pillaged the soft, cinnamon scented skin for its dulcet riches until he all but had Kaien Cross straddled on his lap, indulging his appetence. With fingers sliding into the soft hair and screwing up the tidy ponytail again, Yagari peeked at his lover with a feral smirk shrouding his expression into a look that promised many pleasures to come; Kaien almost whimpered at the sight of it. "Who's gone soft?"

As Cross leaned down to lock his lips to Yagari's there was a sudden slam on the door that startled them. It was followed by two more slams and a very annoyed sounding Kaito. "Don't you two start again! Yagari, I need you out here!"

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

"**Hey, Zero…"**

"Mm?" Zero half-heartedly replied with his eyes glued to the text book in front of him. His mouth was buried in the palm of his hand as he sat behind the counter on one of the wooden stools that old fool (Kaien) was kind enough to supply for them whenever they got tired of standing. The restaurant was mostly empty and would be for the next hour or so. That's exactly why this was considered their study time. Well, Zero's anyway.

Ichiru preferred to work while the place was more packed; he was constantly doodling and sketching random people. Some of his sketches were framed around the restaurant. Most of the people whose sketches were up were of the regular customers that walked in. Ichiru had once asked a small family of four if they would mind if he sketched them. The final product was framed by the restaurant owner himself. The family had been thrilled.

Zero tossed a glance to the framed sketch; the parents were happily smiling at each other while the little girl, a balloon in one hand (which she was adamantly refusing to release), awkwardly drew a spoon of mash potatoes to her mouth. Across from her, her brother (he was around twelve) was getting ready to flick peas at her. Even during the chaos that had shortly followed the launching of said peas, Ichiru had cheerfully sat and sketched them without batting an eyelash. That left Zero to deal with the teenage girls who'd been splattered by the onslaught of peas and mash potatoes while the parents tried to get their children to behave. The stupid boss, aka Kaien Cross, had ran around snapping pictures of them all like some trigger happy tourist. Ichiru had continued to sketch and Zero had ended up with a migraine.

"You know that guy who always stops by here late at night?" Ichiru asked, quietly dispersing the chaotic memory dancing in Zero's head. His brother- which Zero and a few customers found irritating- was sitting on the counter, legs crossed, elbow on one knee and head in one palm as he stared studiously at Zero; the sketchbook on his lap momentarily forgotten. "The one who shows up right before closing time?"

He had stopped bothering with reprimanding Ichiru and trying to get him to stop sitting up there. Ichiru's response was always the same: "Why? We don't cook on the counter. We don't even put the food on here. What's the big deal?" Training his eyes on the final paragraph, Zero shrugged, recalling the young man around his twenties with seal brown hair and eyes that remind him of chocolate and wine. "Yeah. What about him?"

"I don't know," Ichiru mumbled, eyes drawn to the front of the restaurant where he had first noticed the strange man. He wasn't there now, though. It was only a group of high school girls who were peeking in at them and giggling as they passed by. Ichiru winked at them and waved. When they blushed and ran off laughing, he chuckled to himself. That is, until he caught his brother's stern frown. He blinked. "What?"

Zero sighed and closed his book. He wasn't going to be able to concentrate anytime soon. Not until Ichiru left. Slipping off the stool in order to stretch a little, he glanced at the serving window. Inside the kitchen, Yagari and Kaito were in one of their usual shouting matches over one thing or other while Kaien tried to assure the kitchen staff that neither of them was going to kill the other. He turned back to Ichiru. "What about him?"

Ichiru looked confused for a moment. "Oh, yeah," he grinned, almost forgetting. "I was just saying it's strange. He's always staring at you..."

"Is he?" Zero straightened as he tried to think of ever catching the guy in question looking at him, but he drew a blank.

"Yeah," Ichiru nodded.

"Hm."

Ichiru watched him quietly. "...don't you think that's weird?"

"No."

"What?" Ichiru almost toppled over the counter with the jolt of surprise as Zero picked up a rag from the shelf behind the counter and began to walk away.

"Why not?" Ichiru asked as he hopped off the counter, cutting Zero off on his way to re-re-clean the damn tables. "You don't think that guy is even a _little_ bit off? He's always staring before he comes in and then he gives you these...these _strange _looks and stuff. It's _weird._"

Zero glanced at the clock above the serving window and then walked around Ichiru. "He seems lonely."

Turning to watch his brother begin to clean off one of the cleanest tables, Ichiru crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "So are the rest of the perverts in this world. That doesn't mean it's okay for them to turn stalkers."

"He's not stalking me just because he comes in here to eat," Zero pointed out over his shoulder. Honesty, sometimes Ichiru was too paranoid.

The younger twin sighed and shook his head, as though Zero were hopeless. "You're too naïve, Zero."

Zero looked displeased to hear that. "Would you quit talking and do your share?"

"Share of what?" Ichiru gestured to the empty restaurant. "The place is spotless _and_ empty."

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**When Zero's shift was over,** he opted for staying back at the restaurant instead of heading to his lonely apartment. Ichiru and Kaito had both run out earlier, having preset plans for the evening and Zero was bent on studying so he could get some work done before the day was over. So he had taken up one of the tables in the corner where he could work in relative peace. Zero usually preferred the quiet of libraries to study, but as opposed to the dead silence of his apartment, the restaurants noise was welcoming. Here, the sounds of a father who was enjoying a late night dinner with his kids and the two female friends catching up after a two year separation while a mother talked to her son across the room, were all comforting to him.

The sound of the door's bell chimed.

The young girl who worked the night shift was behind the counter, ignoring her chemistry book in order to attend the next customer. She was friendly, always wearing a smile for anyone who walked through the restaurants doors. It was the same smile she gave to the late comer who was, dare she say, very handsome. While routinely welcoming the customer and asking for their order, she was quite aware of the way those dark eyes continuously slid over to the owners son who was studying in one of the secluded tables. When he finished his order, she wasn't surprised to see the direction in which the man headed.

Fingers mindlessly fidgeted with the side of neck, caressing the tattoo he sometimes forgot he had. He hadn't looked up (didn't need to) to know that the new customer was _that_ person. The one Ichiru was complaining about earlier. He always came in this late without fail. So, when a shadow fell over his table, and a quiet, low voice asked, "May I sit here?" Zero already knew who it was.

When he glanced up, he was drawn into languorously dark eyes that seemed to pull him in like a physical force as they waited patiently for an answer. The man had to be older than him by just a few years, yet there was something infinitely withered in those eyes- as though the man had long ago lost the ability to see worth in life. It attracted him. It made him curious, made him want to reach out and touch those emotions and understand why he felt so connected to them. Tearing his gaze away, Zero gave a quick glance around at all the empty and quite available seats around him, asking an unconscious question.

The brunet smiled, but even the soft upward tilt to the corners of his lips felt sad to Zero. "I could use the company."

Zero nodded wordlessly, ignoring the voice in the back of head that strangely sounded like Ichiru screaming, _"He's weird!"_

The guy- no, Kaname, Zero recalled, sat down across from him. Zero couldn't remember having a real conversation with this man before. They had talked a few times, sure, but it was mostly to exchange pleasantries. Zero had made it a point to know all his regular customers. As such, this also applied to said 'stalker' who had become a regular three or so months ago. The guy Zero (secretly) found himself thinking of whenever his mind would wander. It was strange. There was just something about this guy that interested him and Zero couldn't understand it.

Zero was brought out of his quiet musing when the soft clink of a cup on a saucer was placed onto the table before Kaname. Then to his surprise, another was put down before him. When he glanced up at the part timer, she was smiling at him, a faint blush on her cheeks, as she explained, "the boss asked me to bring this to you."

"Thank you." He gave her a quiet smile. He could really use the coffee. As much as Kaien annoyed him, he tended to do things that won Zero over every now and then. He watched as the waitress quickly bowed and scurried away like she was afraid she'd catch some sort of disease from him.

"She seems taken with you," the man across from him spoke, drawing Zero's attention back to Kaname. He shifted at the amused expression that had been directed at him the whole time. He wasn't sure how he felt about being teased by a stranger. "Acts more like she's afraid of me."

"Love can be a scary thing," said stranger murmured, lifting his cup to his lips, all the while keeping his eyes glued to Zero's.

'Are you talking from experience,' Zero almost asked, but held his tongue at the last minute. Maybe that was too personal a question for someone you didn't really know. Instead, he merely nodded and glanced down at his coffee. While he was thinking of what to say to get a conversation going, but he had never been quite the conversationalist. His fingers dug a little harder into the side of his neck. There were things he wanted to ask because he was genuinely curious about the man, even before Ichiru had brought him up. Like, what did he do for a living? He looked like some kind of connoisseur of sort. Why did he always come into a restaurant like this? Who was he and why did Zero always get this niggling feeling like he was supposed to know the guy?

"Is that a habit of yours?"

"Hm?" The question caught Zero off guard, looking at the man across from him with a quiet frown. With a regal nod of his head, Kaname motioned towards the fingers that were digging into the soft flesh of Zero's neck. It was only then that Zero became aware of what he was doing and quickly dropped his hand to the table. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that."

A sad look crossed the man's features, his eyes searing Zero's neck with the intensity of his gaze. "You don't notice, but you tend to do it very often. There is no doubt that-"

When the man cut himself off, Zero encouraged him to finish. "About what?"

Kaname's gaze roamed past his neck to meet his eyes until whatever had the man in such a melancholy mood vanished and he smiled, seemingly amused. "You must have developed it as a habit. Or, perhaps you're simply tired and your body is trying to tell you something."

Zero glanced down at his book and nodded, the pain in the back of his neck pleased to finally have caught his attention. "Probably."

Silence reigned only to be broken when the waitress returned with two plates, each with a club sandwich. He hadn't realized he was hungry until he'd seen the food and made a mental note to thank Kaien later. The rest of their meal was quiet, until Kaname asked what he was studying. From that moment, their conversation had gone by smoothly. Zero had talked about his studies, his job and his brother while the man had talked about how he just moved here a few months ago with his younger sister. Zero was surprised with how easily he had been able to get along with him that he was genuinely wishing closing time hadn't snuck up on them as quickly as it did.

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**When Zero got home,** he dropped his things onto his sofa and walked over to the open kitchen for a quick drink of water. He had surprisingly had a good time talking to Kaname. He hadn't seemed the least bit 'weird' as Ichiru claimed. In fact, he seemed like a pretty decent guy and Zero had meant it when he said they should sit down and have a meal together again. When he was done with his glass of water, he sauntered into his bedroom, dropping his clothes along the way as he headed towards his bathroom for a quick shower.

As he stood beneath the spray of water, he let his mind wander to the beginning of his day. As soon as his class ended this morning, one of his classmates had drudged up the courage to confess to him….

"_Um, K-Kiryu, I…I really like you. I was wondering, if you….I mean, that is….if you h-have a girlfriend?" She fumbled with her words, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sweater as her glasses sunk lower on her petite nose. She was cute, he thought to himself. She wasn't exactly his type and the way she was confessing to him reminded him a lot of his high school days. And, "No, I'm not seeing anyone," was also another reason to accept what he knew was coming. However… "I'm sorry," he said as he watched a spark of hope in her eyes. "I'm not really looking for a girlfriend right now."_

…and he had cut her off before she could finish. Since his last failed relationship, Zero had stopped trying.

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

_Don't leave me... _

_Someone was speaking to him as he lay against something warm. There was a choking force that was holding him back, the tears of someone else falling on his face. He couldn't move; couldn't breathe. Someone was holding onto him tightly, but the only thing he could see was a woman in the distance. Her hair was long and fluttered in the wind as she stared at him from afar; her eyes were, strangely, a red color. They looked sad. Her lips parted and words he couldn't hear were whispered through the wind; the arms holding him tightened and a sobbed voice of a man begged him…._

_...don't leave me, please, don't leave…_

***.****｡****. o ~o .****｡****.***

**Zero woke with a jerk**; his hand snapped to his chest, fingers curling around the white material of his shirt. Beneath his palm, his heart was beating frantically as his breath stuttered past his lips. It was hard to ground himself back to reality- to remember that whatever had put him in this state was a dream. His fingers were still trembling as he forced himself to sit up in the dark of his bedroom, cursing under his breath at the endless nightmares. The moonlight spilled in through the window, illuminating the end of his bed, but he only saw through it.

Swallowing, he tried to will himself to calm down. Reaching up to rub a hand over his face, he was stunned to find himself crying. Rarely were his dreams ever so bad that he woke up crying. On instinct, his body moved to reach over and pick up his cell phone from his bed side table. But bothering Ichiru or anyone with this wasn't worth it. How could it be? "It was just a dream," he mumbled to himself. Just a dream. Just like all the others. He just needed to calm down. Take a deep breath. And go back to sleep….

Yet, when he was embraced in the arms of slumber once again, it was with a heavy heart that he slept.

_END_

* * *

_Agh*facepalm* I felt so inept writing Yagari and Cross. AND, I have no idea why Kaito and Ichiru seem to be bickering all the time. xD Total headcanon._

_Okay, so I already mentioned this on my profile, but I've been having trouble with my writing. I've had to literally force myself to write this chapter out and I'm not sure whether its crap or not. I've rewritten it dozens of times and although I feel I've given the best I can, I'm still a bit….egh. So please bear with me as I try to get through this. Also, thank you to those who ask for updates. It reminds me people are still waiting for me to finish my stories. So thanks for putting up with an author like me and my annoyingly long updating schedules. Orz_


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